Ukraine’s 23-athlete team – two in para-alpine, the rest in para-Nordic/biathlon – will decide Friday, hours before the opening ceremonies, whether to stay and compete or boycott the Games because of Russia’s increased military presence in the Crimea region of southern Ukraine.

Sir Philip Craven, president of the International Paralympic Committee, with the Ukrainian Paralympic Committee on Wednesday evening to discuss potential options.

“We want them to stay,” said Craig Spence, director of media and communications for the IPC. “I think the athletes want to stay. They’ve trained for four years to be here. They don’t want to get involved in politics, they want to compete. It’s what they live for.”

Spence said the decision by Canada, the U.S. and Britain to not send official delegations to Sochi was “disappointing” and that talk of boycotts was “starting to overshadow the start of the Games.

“We’re hoping that on Saturday, the athletes will take centre stage because that’s what they’re here to do.”

Ukraine was fifth in the medal table at the 2010 Vancouver Paralympics with five gold medals and 19 overall.

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“There is free McDonald’s there, the first free McDonald’s in my life. I don’t know whether that’s a good or bad thing, but we have to sick to our diet so we just go in there, look around and order coffee.”

Russian sledge hockey forward Dmitri Lisov on the perks of the athlete’s village.

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